Thanks to the משומד

יעקב בן חיים אבן אדוניהו

The מסורה we have today is from none other but 

              a משומד ( convert/apostate)

                What is the מסורה ?

The מסורה started in the times of Ezra Hasofer* 

& The Anshei Knesess Hagedolah. This 

continued for over a thousand years to the times 

of the Rabonon Saveroi and early Gaonim.

There are many parts to the  מסורה.

Some parts of the מסורה  ,(there are more) 

1) How many letters and words in each Sefer (Tanach)

2) The טעמים (known as the Trop) 

3) The קרי & כתיב 

4) Nekudos (How to pronounce)

5) Begin & end Pesukim & Parshios

6) How many times the word with the same 

spelling appears.

7)  חסירות ויתירות (spelling)

8) Large & small letters

9) Similar words elsewhere in Tanach

10) When it's the name of Hashem and when not

Because of the מסורה, we have a uniform text

of the Tanach, which both the Perushim & 

Tzedokim agree on.

Yakov ben Chaim and Eliyahu Bachur were both employed 

as editors in the printing house of Danielle Bombergini. 

( The Goy who printed the first complete Shas)

Yakov ben Chaim edited the Seforim Bomberg printed.

Among them were the Shas Bavli & Yerushalmi

and the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash. 

Yakov wrote an important and  fabulous 

Hakdama** for the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash.

He also compiled and organized the Mesorah (Tanach)

which was completely disorganized and very

difficult to read.

It is fascinating, his friend Eliyahu Bachur praises 

his work and curses him in the same sentence.

(for converting)

Eliyahu Bachur writes " I have never seen in any of the previous 

Seforim such perfect, beautiful and organized work as was

done  by the person whose name used to be 

"Yakov תהי נשמתו צרורה ***בצרור נקוב "

Yakov convinced Danielle Bombergini to allow him to print his

Mesorah in the Chumash. 

Hence the only Mesorah we have today is from 

the Meshumad Yakov who compiled, organized

and had it printed.

*They were called Sofrim because the counted the 

letters, words, Pesukim and Parshios.(Ms.Kidushin)

** The original Chumashim had his name printed.

In the later  prints, the name was removed and 

replaced as הקדמת המעתיק

***A bundle with a hole (everything falls out.

a play on words based on a Pasuk in Chagi 1